| Batista Joins Celtics |
Big man Esteban Batista and swingman Dahntay Jones played well enough over the past few days to earn themselves an all-expenses-paid (working) vacation to Rome and London. There, and back in the United States next month, they will have the chance to make the 2007-08 Celtics.
But first things first.
The Celtics signed Esteban Batista late yesterday, "solidifying and finalizing our roster," in the words of hoops boss Danny Ainge. The roster - and flight manifest for Europe - now stands at 17. The 17 lucky fellows will be smiling and saying all the right things at Media Day tomorrow and then depart for Italy Saturday.
Given Batista's dimensions (6 feet 10 inches, 268 pounds) and the Celtics' need for size, he might have a chance to crack the final 15 (assuming they keep 15). Neither his deal nor Jones's is guaranteed, and the total payout for both is around $1.6 million. Said Batista's agent, Marc Cornstein, by e-mail, "We're happy with the opportunity he's getting."
Batista, who logged a lot of pine time in Atlanta the last two seasons (70 games, 576 minutes total), earned a shot at a third year and a second NBA team with a stellar performance at the FIBA Americas Championship, where, as Uruguay's top player, he basically went 1 on 5 many nights. He still averaged 20.8 points and a tournament-best 12.4 rebounds per game. In 24 minutes against the United States, he had 20 points and five rebounds.
"I really liked what I saw of him this summer and in the past few days," Ainge said of Batista, who turned 24 Sept. 2. "He's a strong, physical player who has some upside."
Used courtesy of: Boston Globe |
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